Upon closing the case and winding up the player, the turntable will begin to play an audio recording despite the lack of a record.
The inner workings of the player.
Description
The Recordless Player is a wooden wind-up phonograph, which was located on Level 9 when discovered. No wax cylinder record is present within the device for playback1. The case is plastered with one prominent sticker: "TO MY DEAR CASSY". The contents of this label do not seem to be affected by desolation.
Functionality
Upon closing the case and winding up the player, the turntable will begin to play an audio recording despite the lack of a record. The recording played consists of a human voice, usually recognizable to the one winding the player as a close acquaintance from back home. That being said, sometimes the audio is that of a feminine voice resembling that of a young child. If this occurs, the M.E.G. recommends that the one winding the player stop and try again at a later date.
Logs
The Recordless Player was discovered on the second floor of a Level 9 house and promptly delivered back to the base on Level 4 by the venturer. Below are a series of recorded uses of the turntable for the purpose of determining the object's functionality, and potential variance depending on the user. Bold text denotes the unidentified child voice speaking, scrambled text was unintelligible.
| Subject | Audio Output | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wendy | Oh, nWnix? Wait, I thought you went to the city last year! Oh, come over here—I saved a seat. Look, I think he’s going to miss. No…ugh, is he seriously going to demonstrate again? Hey, nxwNe! eNwex, do you regret picking this class now? I’m just here because it’s easy. Like, I thought going to Haru for freshman advice would be a good idea. Damn, should have known my brother was screwing me over. Uh, you wanna play tic-tac-toe? Here, have a stick. |
Following the playback, Wendy admitted that the voice bore a striking resemblance to her childhood crush. Their paths diverged when Wendy made the decision to enroll in a different district for her high school education, ultimately leading to their separation. |
| Gabriel Leclair | Oof, wasn’t that a ride? Here, take it. I told my grandma you’d like something sweeter, and she baked these homemade cookies for you. The ones in the bag are chocolate. It’s no problem! Here, eat first. You must be starving. Ha! I knew you’d be up to it. Maybe we should go somewhere after this if your parents are okay with it and all. Hey…um, thanks for standing by me today. I honestly don’t know how I’d drag myself through this if not for you back there. I guess…I know it must be hard for you. I’m sorry for making you choose, but the last few months have been shit, and I honestly don’t know if I would have wanted to keep going if not for you. I’m sorry about Jasper, I don’t want to cause strife between you two or anything, just, thank you for bringing me here today. I appreciate it more than you know. |
As the playback progressed, Mr. Leclair's stopped multiple times to make a conscious effort to steady his breathing. However, despite initial signs of discomfort, he concluded the session with a warm smile and requested further use of the turntable. |
| Gabriel Leclair |
You've made a bad decision. | Mr. Leclair flinches away from the object. He appears visibly distressed and is handed off to Dr Park2. Testing was suspended for three days. |
| Gabriel Leclair | Do you remember wonderful times? Where did they go? I love you, miss you, so dearly, so true. Even though I've killed you, I've only loved you. Please forgive me, rAnN!na. Please let me see your smile. | Mr. Leclair refused to engage in further interactions with the object. |
| Dr. Park | You always dream about lJuy. But you always rationalize it away. | Dr. Park expressed irritation at the object's "stubbornness". The doctor insisted on a subsequent test. |
| Dr. Park | That could’ve been close. Darn, old man, you’ve had this a long time coming. Well, she recovered, I’ll tell ya. You could go meet her up at the entrance right now. Her parents are endlessly thankful, my god, what kind of miracle did you pull this time? |
After several hours, the doctor divulged that the dialogue mirrored a conversation that occurred on the 23rd of December near the entrance of St. Judy Children’s Hospital. However, the content of the playback deviates drastically from the actual occurrence. |
| Adam Mason | Dear diary, today I wasted my time. Everything was believable, everything made sense. I dreamed she was by my side again. | Mr. Mason is suggested to make another attempt. |
| Adam Mason | There’s nothing here anymore. There’s really nothing, but you won’t believe me! | Mr. Mason is urged to continue trying. |
| Adam Mason | Dad? Dad? Are you home yet? Mommy’s coming back for the weekend with a Christmas Tree! You’ve got to take a look at this, shhh! Let it be a surprise! I can't wait, I can't wait! This is going to be totally amazing! Alright, Dad! I've got to go now but get back here as soon as you can. Merry Christmas! I love you. | Adam Mason's daughter is dead. |
| Dr. Park | Where are your old friends, doctor? Poor little Judy, couldn't you see she was sick? You were late, doctor. What a shame. | Testing is concluded. |
Update: Sometime after the conclusion of tests, the object spontaneously vanished from the M.E.G base3. Its current whereabouts are unknown.
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